2002 Ford Taurus SE from North America

Summary:

It's okay, kind of vanilla. Definitely not flashy

Faults:

Transmission failed at 88,000.

Front wheel bearings and coolant reservoir replaced at 130.000.

General Comments:

Car is very comfortable to drive, even on long trips. With the power seat and tilt wheel you can set it up for a nice drive.

Car is no speed-burner. It's actually one of the slowest cars I've ever had, and the fuel economy is not what was on the sticker.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 17th November, 2007

2002 Ford Taurus SE 6 cylinder from North America

Summary:

Taurus is roomy and comfortable, but reliability after 50K miles is definitely an issue

Faults:

Cam synchronizer went bad at 45K. It was covered under warranty, but I still had to pay the $250 deductible.

The blower motor went bad around 70K. It just happened, so the jury is still out on that one!

There is also a squeaking sound coming from the steering column, which I will have checked out as well. I hope it's minor. These $250-300 repairs every 6 months or so are really starting to add up!

General Comments:

The car is very roomy and comfortable. It has a huge trunk, and lots of space in the rear seat if you needed to take passengers with you.

The engine seems to work pretty well. It is quick when I need it, although the gas mileage could be better. Right now I get about 20 mpg since I drive in mostly bad traffic.

Air conditioning worked great up until the blower motor went out. Obviously this is a very common occurrence amongst Taurus owners.

The CD player however skips a lot when going over bumps, and many times the CD's get stuck inside. I have to press the eject button like 50 times, and it will eventually come out. To fix the CD player, they would have to remove the whole front panel, which includes the climate control settings. Obviously that isn't very safe in case I need the defogger, so I have just left it like it is. I would like to add my own in-dash radio/CD player, but that doesn't seem possible in this model.

I know someone mentioned here that Toyotas and Hondas are bad. My experience and many others I know is just the opposite. My previous car was a Honda Accord, and just for comparison, I had it until it was at 140,000+ miles, and would have had it longer had a lady in a BMW not totaled it. Those cars are unbelievably reliable and I can't imagine why anyone would say such a thing.

Toyota's are great too. Had a Camry until 130,000 miles, although it had more problems than the Honda did. If only American cars would be like that, I would always buy American, but unfortunately that is not the case. I thought Fords were better than this, but I was mistaken.

I have also owned Chrysler and GM cars too. I have to say GM is probably the best, then Ford, then walking, then Chrysler, which is worst of the worse in my opinion.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 19th July, 2007

23rd Jan 2008, 21:09

Any electronic store can install a radio/CD for you. I was told by them, you have to buy a special face plate for around $100 or so. Good luck.

28th Sep 2009, 21:54

I have a 2001 Taurus SES with the OHV V6 engine with 131,000 miles on it.

The transmission has been serviced every 20,000 miles, and the oil changed every 3,000.

It still looks and drives like the day I drove it home for the first time in 2000.

I have done nothing but regular service. It is all in how these cars are maintained.

I have a friend that has a 02 just like mine with 225,000 miles, and same as mine, only regular maintenance other than having the power steering pump replaced, and he drives 80 to 90 mph everywhere he goes that the road is open enough for him to do so.